Lambs were being skinned and prepared for Easter roasting on the spit (vegetarians should skip this photo…)
In the late morning Wiltrud drove us east to Agia Marina, below Skaloti, where you get a view all the way to Plakias. The dirt track leading down to the beach has been smoothed out very well this year, so she decided to drive down. While crossing the flowing stream at the bottom, we flushed out a squacco heron. There were two German campervans parked under trees on Agia Marina beach, with their occupants enjoying the peaceful atmosphere.
The cafe around the corner on the next beach was closed, so we drove along the stone and sand track at the back of the beach (there were two very bad spots to negotiate) to Peristere beach at the other end, where workers were cleaning that taverna in preparation for opening. This is the spot where the kidnapped German general Kreipe was removed from Crete by boat during WWII. There was a large patch of the tiny blue and white Solenopsis minuta near the beach.
The road turns inland around the small rocky headland then back down to the coast at the resort of Polyrizo, which seemed quite lively with tourists, and continues to Korakas beach below Rodakino. From there on we were on new territory, as the coast road has now been asphalted (it was impassible at places the last time we tried). The view along this wild stretch of coast are gorgeous - there are wide views over to Plakias bay and the mountains where Moni Preveli is located, around to the the Paximadia islands, and huge rocky formations, but very few buildings. Once you round Cape Stavros, you can see Souda beach and tourist development below. Instead of following the coastal road into Plakias we cut up to Sellia, and then drove back along the main road, looking down on the Cape and road we had just driven along.
Back in Sfakia, there were a lot of small boats and taxi boats zipping back and forth to Loutro, and probably also Finix and Lykos, as Greek families arrived for their Easter holidays.